Attachment for mail-boxes.



J. T RIDGWAY. ATTACHMENT FOB. MAIL BOXES APPLICATION FILED DEG. a, 1910.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JOHN T. RInGwAY, or LEESBURG, OHIO.

ATTACHMENT FOR MAIL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 10; 1911.

Application filed December 8, 1810. Serial No. 596,247.

make and use the same.

' This invention relates to improvements in money and stamp holding attachments for rural mail boxes.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of bracket adapted to support a receptacle and having means whereby the same is firmly secured-to the inner surface of the side or end of the walls of the box.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and. particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawingsi Figure 1- is a vertical cross section through a rural mail box showing the attachment applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the box showing a plan view of the supporting bracket with the receptacle re moved; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the bracket; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the box showing a modified construction and arrangement of bracket; Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the bracket shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the receptacle supported by the brackets.

Referring more particularly to the first three figures of the drawings, 1 denotes a mail box having a hinged top 2. Adapted to be secured to the rear side or other suitable portion of the box is my improved re-' ceptacle supporting bracket 3,, said bracket being preferably formed from a single piece of wire bent midway between its ends to form a receptacle receiving loop 4:. The wires'at the outer ends of the loop are bent back'in the same plane with the loop 4 and together with the sides of the loop form supporting members 5 for the flanges of the receptacle. The rcarwardly extending ends of the "wires forming the outer portion of the supports 5 are bent downwardly and then upwardly to form bracing lugs 6 and the outer extremities of thelwire, after forming the lugs 6 project rearwardly and form fastening members 7 which are adapted to beinsertcd' through holes 8 preferably formed in the rear side of the box as shown. After being inserted through the holes 8 the fastening members are bent upwardly or downwardly or one of said. members may be bent upwardlyand the other downwardly against the latter side of the box thus securely clenching the same and drawing the bracing I lugs 6 into tight engagement with the inner surface of the rear side of the box thus securcly fastening the bracket in place.

The form of the bracket shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings is especially designed for use in connection with boxes opening at one end as shown in Fig. tin-which 9 denotes the box and 10 the door in the endthereof. The bracket 11 shown in Figs. 4c and 5 of the drawings is also formed from a single wire rod bentmidway between its ends to form a box receiving loop 12 which opens at. the side of the bracket as shown. One end of the rod-after forming the loop is bent around the loop in the same l1orizontal plane thereof to the outer side of the same while the end 14; is bent back a short distance substantially parallel with the adaccnt side of the loop and said ends 13 and 14 are then bent downwardly and thence upwardly to form bracing lugs 15 which are adapted to engage the inner surface of the end of thc'box when the bracket is applied thereto. The extremities of the rods after forming the lugs 15 are bent laterally at right angles to form fastening members 16 which are adapted to be inserted through holes 17 in the side or other suitable part of the box and after being inserted through said holes are bent upwardly or downwardly or one end is bent upwardlyand the other downwardly against the outer surface of the side of the-box thus securely clenching said ends and drawing the lugs 15 into tight engagement with the inner surface of the box thereby firmly securing the bracketin place. Any suitable receptacl may be employed for engagement with the brackets. said receptacle being here shown in the form of a shallow meta-l pan 1'8 having around its outer edge an annular radially projecting supportingilangc it; When engaged with the brackcts the body portion of the'pan is engaged sition to be conveniently reached by the postman to remove the money therefrom, and.

place the stamps therein. The receptacles when arranged as herein shown and: de-

scribed provide means for holding money or stamps which have heretofore been loosely dropped into the box and are frequently lost by becoming mixed with the mail matter:

removed therefrom and which when dropped loosely in the box is frequently overlooked by the postman who, when seeing the same loses considerable time in picking up and removing all of the loose money.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inven- "tion will be readily understood Without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orjsacrificing any of the advantages of e invention as defined in the appended Having thus described my invention What I claim is:

An attachment for rural mail boxes comprising a bracket formed from a single piece of Wire bent to form a receptacle receiving loop, receptacle supporting members, bracing lugs adapted to engage the inner surface of the box, and fastening members adapted to be inserted through the walls of the box and to be bent or clenched into engagement with the outer surface of said walls whereby said bracing lugs are drawn into tight engagement with the inner surface of the walls thereby firmly supporting and bracing the bracket, and receptacles comprising a body portion adapted to be engaged with said receptacle receiving loops and having a radially projecting flange adapted to engage said supporting members whereby the receptacles are held in position in th box.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. RIDGVVAY.

Witnesses FRAN K COLLINS, H. L. Wrocms. 

